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No. 625,538. Patented May 23, I899. 0. II. BUGHWALTEB. STREETv 08 STATION INDICATOR FOB CABS, 614;.

(Application filed 1%. 10, 1599.

(N0 Model.)

I IIIIIIIIIII UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CALVIN H. BUOHWVALTER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO EDIVARD J. DUMEE, OF SAME PLACE.

STREET OR STATION INDICATOR FOR CARS, 84.0.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,538, dated May 23, 1899.

Application filed February 10, 1899. Serial No. 705,163. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CALVIN H. BUOHWAL- TER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Street or Station Indicators for Cars, 850., which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

My invention consists of a street or station indicator embodying signs or name-plates disposed in angular form, so as to be open in the rear and so located in a car that the light of the latter may be utilized to illuminate the exposed sign, said plates being connected at their angle by a hinged joint, whereby they may be readily separated and adjusted on a supporting-frame on the car or vehicle.

It also consists of the construction of the signs or name-plates that they may be easily connected with the frame that carries the same firmly supported thereon, said frame being rotatable in opposite directions, so that the required sign or plate may be exposed to view, while the other one is practically concealed.

It also consists of novel means for rotating the sign or name-plate frame and locking the same in either of the positions to which it may be set, the same being hereinafter described.

It further consists of means for preventing sagging or dropping of the signs or nameplates at the angle of the same, said signs or plates being hinged at said angle.

Figure 1 represents a front view of a street or station indicator embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a perspective view taken from the rear thereof. Fig. 3 represents a side elevation on an enlarged scale. Fig. i represents a vertical section thereof. Fig. 5 represents a vertical section of a portion on line at at, Fig. 7. Fig; 6 represents a perspective view, partly in section, of a detached portion. Fig. 7 represents a vertical section of a portion on line y y, Fig. 3. Fig. 8 represents a perspective view of a detached portion, showing the members of the sign-plates, means for connecting them, and means for attaching the same to a supporting-frame. Fig. 9 represents a perspective view of a portion of said frame and a device thereon for engaging with the angle of'the sign-plates to prevent sagging or dropping of the latter at said angle.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a frame formed of the vertical end plates B and the transverse cross bars or rods 0 C connecting the same, the bar 0 being so disposed in relation to the bar 0 as to make the frame A triangular in form, the rods being so separated as to leave the spaces D D between them, thus presenting a frame of skeleton form. Projecting laterally from the end plates B are journals E, which are mounted on the brackets or bearings F, connected with a suitable part of a car, in the present case in front of the canopy thereof.

G designates a lever Whose boss or hub H is mounted on a portion of one of the journals E, said portion being of angular form and the opening J in the said boss being elongated or of greater length than said squared portion, so that while said lever may engage with the said journal to rotate the same it is permitted to rock or move in and out thereon, as will be most plainly seen in Figs. 5 and 7. Projecting from said boss H is a tooth K, which is adapted to enter either of the recesses L of the quadrant or plate M, the latter being secured to the end of the adjacent bracket F, whereby the tooth K may be locked while occupying either of the recesses L. The ad- Vance and return motions of said tooth are limited by means of pins N, which project from the plate M near the recesses L.

P designates plates which are hinged to each other, as at Q, and adapted to be of right-angular form, as most clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 6, said plates being stenciled or otherwise cut through with the names of streets or stations, back of which are sheets R of transparent material whereby the names in the plates P appear to the greatest advantage, especially at night. In order to connect the plates P and sheets R, I employ'clips S, which are attached to the outer ends of the plates P and engage the adjacent portions of the sheets R, as most plainly shown in Fig. 8. The plates and sheets form the signs or name-plates of the indicator, one member of which is at a right angle to the other. The plates P are furthermore provided with the hooks T,which are adapted to engage with the cross-bars C, thus sustaining the signs or name-plates, as most clearly seen in Figs. 4 and 6, said hooks being adapted to be bent out, as shown in Fig. 8, whereby they may be readily applied to and removed from the rods, as is evident.

The operation is as follows: In order to present one of the two signs to the front relatively to the direction that the car may be running, the lever G is pressed in, whereby the tooth K leaves the recess L which it occupies, after which said lever is turned,whereby the frame A follows the motion thereof and presents the desired sign to the front, While the other sign occupies a horizontal position either above or below, as the case may be, and to that extent is not exposed. (See Fig. 2.) When the quarter-turn of the frame has been made, the lever is let go. The tooth K drops into the other recess L and retains its position therein by the action of the spring U, which is fitted on the end of the journal E and bears against the boss H of said lever, its tension being regulated by the nut V on said journal, as is most plainly seen in Fig. 7. From this description it will be apparent how the other sign can be presented to the front, the lever G of course being operated in the reverse order.

It will be seen that the frame A is open at its rear, and its location will be in front of the canopy of a car. Consequently the light of a car is utilized to illuminate the exposed sign, and the name appears to the greatest advantage through the hood at the front of the device.

In order to prevent any sagging of the sign at the hinge Q, I employ the tongues X, which are connected with the end plates 13 and adapted to be bent under said hinge, thus sustaining the signs at said hinge. Shouldit be desired to guard the sign during stormy weather or for other purposes, I employ the grooved plates or ways Y, which are secured to the hood W and are adapted to have a plate fitted thereto in front of the exposed sign and covering the same, the effect of which is evident.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a street or station indicator for a car, a plurality of signs or name-plates formed of Vertical and horizontal limbs angularly connected and open in the rear,whereby the light in the car is adapted to be utilized to be transmitted through the plate presented to view to illuminate the same, each of said limbs being provided with means of attachment to a supporting-frame and the latter being rotatably mounted whereby either limb may be presented to the front by rotating said frame.

2. In a street or station indicator for acar, a plurality of signs or name-plates formed of vertical and horizontal limbs, angularly connected and open in the rear and located on the bod y of a car, whereby the limb presented to view may be illuminated by the light in said body, said limbs being connected by a hinge-joint at the angle thereofand each provided with means of attachment to a supporting-frame, the latter being rotatably mounted whereby either limb may be presented to the front by rotating said frame.

3. In a street or station indicator, a sign or name-plate frame formed of vertical end plates and horizontal cross-bars connecting the same, and arranged at an angle to each other and separated forming a two-sided skeleton frame the rear of which is open or uncovered in combination with an angular sign-plate, the members of which are connected by a hinged joint at the angle thereof and provided with means of attachment to said frame.

i. In a street or station indicator a plurality of signs or name-plates each formed of'a plate of opaque material with names out therein, and a plate of transparent material covering the openings formed by said names, and frames carrying the members of the signs or plates extending at an angle to each other, the rear of said frames being open so as to admit the light in the car to the sign or nameplate that is exposed to view in combination with clips for connecting said plates of opaque and transparent material with each other and independent hooks for connecting said combined plates with said frame.

5. A sign or name-plate,havinga frame with journals thereon a bearing for said journals,- a lever freely mounted on either journal, a tooth on the boss of said lever, and a plate on said bearing with recesses at intervals to receive said tooth, said lever being movable on said journal to permit said tooth to be engaged with one of said recesses and be disengaged therefrom.

6. In a street or station indicator, a sign or name-plate frame, a journal on said frame having an angular portion, a lever having a boss provided with an elongated slot whose walls freely embrace said angular portion, a tooth on said lever and a recessed plate on the bearing of the journal, either of the recesses of said plate being adapted to be engaged by said tooth by the movement of said lever on said journal, and the rotation of the latter.

7. In a street or station indicator, a sign or name-plate frame, the same being of angular form, a journal on said frame, alever having a boss provided with an elongated slot whose walls are freely mounted on said journal, a tooth on said lever, a bearing for said journal, a plate on said bearing with recesses with either of which said tooth may engage, and a spring bearing againstsaid lever to retain said tooth in the recess in which it is seated.

8. In a street or station indicator, a sign or name-plate frame of angular form formed of a plurality of members connected by a hinge,

a support on which said members are rotatably mounted, andatongue bearing upwardly against the connecting-11in ge of said members at said hinge.

O. In a street or station indicator, a sign formed of a plurality of plates of opaque. and transparent material, the members of which are angularly connected, and hooks 0n the opaque plates, in combination with a rotating frame having cross-bars onwhich said hooks 10 are fitted, said bars being an gularly disposed on their supports.

CALVIN I-I. BUCHWALTER. Witnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, WM. 0. WIEDERsHEIM. 

